‘PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ could get custom matches, but at what cost?

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundshas struggled to keep pace with Epic Games’ Fortniteso far in 2018, but a new feature could lure players back in: custom matches. Currently being tested on PC, the matches are free to try out, though this could change when they eventually go live to everyone.

“Earlier this year, we promised to make custom matches available for more players. As our first step towards fulfilling that promise, we’re making custom match access available to everyone on our test servers,” the development team said in a Steam update post. “Our plan is to expand this test to live servers, once the system is proven to be stable.”

Though the custom servers are currently free, only 10,000 players will be able to run them concurrently during the beta period. PUBG Corp. also said it will look into charging for access to them at a later date “to ensure everything runs smoothly and the system remains sustainable long-term.”

Custom matches in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds allow you to tweak several different aspects of the battle royale game, including item spawn rates, loadouts, and even how the ever-shrinking circle of death behaves. It should add some variety to a game that hasn’t had very much since its launch, aside from the occasional limited-time mode and a few new maps.

A few new goodies have been added to the Sanhok map in the latest PC update, as well. A DMR called the “QBU,” replaces the Mini 14 rifle on the map and makes use of 5.56 ammunition. The “Rony” pickup truck is also a Sanhok exclusive — it holds four players and “excels at moving across Sanhok’s hilly landscapes.”

If you’re on Xbox One, a few additions have come your way, as well. The “Mirado” muscle car can now be found on the Miramar map, and the SLR DMR can be found in both maps. It makes use of 7.62 ammunition, so it should be perfect for those looking to snipe enemies from a distance, and with the option to increase its magazine capacity to 20 rounds, you can afford to miss a few times.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is out now on Xbox One and PC, while PUBG Mobile is available for free on iOS and Android.

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